She Can See Them Too
by xxjointherocksxx
Summary: Melinda finds another girl who can see spirits, but the girl may not nessacarily want the gift. New off of hiatus- please read and review!
1. She sees them too

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Whisperer. Come on, show of hands- who thought I did? That's what I thought.**

**A/N: This is my first story for awhile- couple months. Please forgive any… um… relative badness?**

**Also- this story follows the episode where Melinda reveals her gift. **

From in the back, Melinda heard the usual jingle, which accompanied a customer.

"I'll be out there in a second!" Melinda called. Delia had taken the day off to spend some time with Ned. "Let me know if you need any help!"

Melinda stacked a last box against a tall bookshelf before making her way back to the store.

A middle-aged woman was looking at old jewelry, and a girl, Melinda put her at about 13, on the other end of the display.

"Do you see anything she might like?" the woman asked. The girl shrugged.

"Can I help with something?" Melinda asked, walking over.

"Hi, we're looking for a present for a friend of mine. She always loved antiques."

"Oh, well, these were from the 1940s," Melinda pointed to a pair of earrings. "The woman who owned them said that they brought her good luck whenever she wore them."

"Really?"

"There's nothing that I can see that—" Melinda stopped talking.

The girl who was also in the store was now accompanied by someone else- a tall boy wearing football gear.

"You can't ignore me forever!" he said.

"See that what?" the woman asked.

"Oh, there's nothing on there that's rumored, or represents, or is even superstitiously lucky. I think the lady just told me that to get a higher price for them," Melinda laughed.

"Oh, I see. Well, I think I'll keep looking."

The woman moved over to a display of dolls.

"You have to talk to me! I know you can see me!" the football kid said.

"Leave me alone!" the girl hissed.

Melinda's eyes went wide and walked over to the girl. "Are you looking for someone?"

The girl looked at her. "What?"

"Something. I meant something. Can I help you?"

"No- you said someone. Can you see him too?" the girl asked, pointing at the football player. "Can you get him to leave me alone?"

The football player turned to look at Melinda, who nodded. "Yes, I can see him. How long has he followed you?"

"About a—" The girl frowned. "How did you know he was following me?"

"Is that your Mom?" Melinda asked. The girl nodded. "I'm Melinda. Can you come back tomorrow, by yourself?"

The girl shrugged. "Maybe."

Melinda walked over to her mother. "I have a question. Your daughter seems very interested in the antiques, and I'd love to have her over some time to show her more stuff, is that all right with you?"

The woman frowned. "I-I guess so. Mallory, really? Antiques?"

"I'm Melinda," Melinda said, extending her hand.

"Jessa," she replied, shaking her hand, but not making eye-contact with Melinda, but rather still looking at her daughter with a strange, wondering expression on her face.

"Thank you; we'll have so much fun!" Melinda said, turning to look at Mallory, who put on the best fake-smile Melinda had ever seen.

* * *

The next day, Delia was back and fully caught up on Mallory, her ghost, and the fact that she could see it too.

"Did she seem happy she could see him?" Delia asked, while they waited for Mallory to arrive.

"Well, not really- but that could have been due to any number of things. Maybe she knew this kid, but maybe…" Melinda trailed off mid-sentence. She knew what she wanted to finish, that she, Mallory, might be trying to cast off her gift like Melinda's mother before her.

"Maybe what?" Delia asked.

"She might not want the gift." Melinda sighed. Delia looked as though she wanted to say something. They both knew full well this is not a gift Delia would have wanted. Without those words being said, Melinda said what she needed to say, "It's different when you have it. You can't know if you don't like something if you don't have it."

"I have seen you help lots of people before," Delia admitted.

"My mother also had the gift, but she tried and tried to reject it, even though it wouldn't go away. It made her moody and depressed all the time. I don't want that for Mallory, not at such a young age."

"Didn't you say that kids could see ghosts?" Delia asked.

"As children, young children. That's where imaginary friends come from," Melinda said with a grin, "but she's beyond that. She's got the gift, I know it."

The door jingled and Mallory walked in, looking a little nervous.

"Mallory, this is my friend and partner, Delia. Delia, this is Mallory," Melinda introduced. "We're going for a walk while Delia holds down the fort."

Melinda walked over to her, and they walked out the door.

* * *

**A/N: I leave it there for now. No crazy cliffies (which I can be known for- beware!), just a simple ending of my chapter. Comments and/or criticisms are welcome in your review!**


	2. She knows who I am

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, ideas, ect of GW. **

Melinda and Mallory walked across the street to the Vietnam memorial and sat down on a bench.

"I know you're not interested in antiques- that's not why I asked you back." Melinda said.

"They're okay, I guess," Mallory said.

Melinda smiled, looking out at the park. "I asked you back because I know you can see spirits." Mallory didn't say anything. "I can see them too. I've seen them since I was a little girl."

"Yeah, so? This guy won't leave me alone! How can I get him to leave me alone?" Mallory asked.

Melinda looked at the distressed teenager. "You cross him over. You lead him into the light, and you help him… help him finish tasks he needs to finish in order to find the light."

"What? What light? What tasks?"

"Earthbound spirits don't belong here. They belong in the light. Most spirits go to the light automatically, some don't."

"Why not?" Mallory asked.

"There are different reasons. Some don't know they're dead, sometimes because they died in a tragic accident. The most common reason is they still have unfinished business with the loved ones they left behind."

"Like…"

"A message of some kind, usually. Has this ghost shown you anything?"

"Like a vision?"

Melinda nodded, but Mallory shook her head.

"Has this ghost tried to give you clues as to how to help him?"

"Look, why do I have to do this? You seem to be the expert."

"Because if I do it, and you don't learn how, some other ghost will come and you'll go through the same thing. The first ghost is always the hardest, and I can help you."

"What if I don't want this dumb ability?" Mallory asked. "What if I just want them all to leave me alone?"

"They won't," Melinda said, simply. "Now that they know you can see them, they'll keep coming back."

"Well, they'll just have to learn I'm not helping them!" Mallory said, standing up and leaving in a huff.

Melinda didn't chase her. She knew how she felt. She had gone through the same thing when she was in school.

* * *

"This girl is not going to come quietly." Melinda said at the table with Jim. "She is absolutely adamant that this gift is just going to go away."

"How are you going to change her mind?" Jim asked. "Great salad, by the way."

"I don't know." Melinda put down her fork. "I think she's probably the first in her family to have the gift, because her mother didn't say anything- and you can tell when people see ghosts."

"Think she'll come back?"

Melinda shrugged. "I don't know. I hope so."

* * *

Melinda walked into the shop the next morning, and when she opened the door, she had an uninvited guest right in her face.

"You have to help me!" It was the ghost that was following Mallory.

"I'm not going to. She needs to figure this out on her own. I'll guide her along the way."

"She doesn't want to help me!"

Melinda was torn. "Look, can you help her out? She might be more willing if she knew what you wanted. Help her to help you!"

The football ghost scowled.

"Does she even you who you are?" Melinda asked.

The ghost cracked an eerie grin. "Oh, she knows who I am." He disappeared.

Melinda shook it off, and went fully into the store- this whole encounter happened, for her at least, inside the doorway.

She changed the closed sign to open and then pulled out her laptop, searching for recent deaths in football players.

Delia came in. "What're doing back there?"

"Ghost stuff," said Melinda, lost in her article.

"What is it this time?"

"It's not even my ghost… look… that's awful!"

Delia walked around the counter and looked at the article Melinda was reading.

"This kid was a freshman in high school. He wasn't wearing a helmet at practice and he got killed during a tackle."

"If it's not your ghost, why are you researching him?" Delia asked, in a pretend, scolding way.

Before Melinda could answer, the door jingled and Jessa walked in.

"Hi, are you back for anything?" Melinda asked. She could see Mallory trying to sulk in the shadows of a furniture display.

"Actually, yes. I really liked that cross necklace over there…"

"Do you want to help her Delia?" Melinda asked, very pointedly.

Delia took the hint, and had Jessa guide her over to the jewelry, while Melinda walked over to Mallory.

"What's going on?" Mallory asked in a furious whisper.

Melinda was taken aback. "Sorry?"

"What's going on?" she repeated. "This went flying into my head last night. What is going on?" She asked, slowly separating the words of the last question for maximum impact.

"How old are you?" Melinda asked.

Mallory scowled. "Why do you care?"

Melinda didn't say anything. When Mallory could tell she was just wanting her age, she spat out "I'll be 15 next week."

Melinda was really taken aback this time. She had put her to be 13 when she first saw her.

"So, you'll be a sophomore this year?" Melinda asked.

"Freshman."

Melinda nodded.

"What's going on? I have yearbooks being chucked at my head, football is always turned on when I walk into the living room- no one in my house watches football. I want an explanation- now."

**A/N: Reviews please!!**


	3. I knew you could see me

**Disclaimer: I don't own GW, or any of the regular characters- Mallory, Jessa, and the football ghost are figments of my imagination.**

**A/N: Thanks to my beta- pengsrock!!**

**Reviews please!!**

* * *

"What's going on? I have yearbooks being chucked at my head; football is always turned on when I walk into the living room- no one in my house watches football. I want an explanation- now," demanded Mallory.

Melinda hesitated. "Delia?" Delia turned around. "If you need anything, we'll be in the back. I want to show Mallory some… new stuff."

It was a bad lie, but Jessa didn't comment, so Melinda half dragged Mallory into the back room.

"Do you ever clean up this place?" Mallory asked, upon sight of the semi-chaotic back room.

"Very funny. Now, tell me what happened."

Mallory took a deep breath. "I was in my room last night, reading something, and my middle school year book flew off the shelf- it's on the other side of my room- and hit me in the head."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I was terrified," Mallory said in a "that should have been obvious" sort of way. "Books don't grow wings and fly, Melinda!"

"And what about the TV?"

Mallory shrugged. "That's just weird. Whenever I walk by the empty TV set, or even when I want to watch something, the TV turns on some football game. When I want to change the channel, it won't budge."

"Mallory, we both saw your ghost, right?"

Mallory gave Melinda a look that told Melinda she was going too slowly.

"Your ghost obviously died playing football."

"So he turns on his deathbed whenever I walk past?"

"He's trying to give you clues."

"The yearbook?" Mallory asked.

Melinda was torn. She didn't want to tell Mallory that she had gone and done research- that would only make Mallory try to put the ghost on her more.

Melinda opened her mouth to speak when a big box flew off the top of a pile and flew towards Melinda. Shrieking, she avoided it, as another box flew towards Mallory.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Melinda yelled. It was tempting to yell "leave her alone" as well, but Melinda stopped herself. She needed Mallory to cross this one over herself.

"What's going on?" Mallory asked as she ducked the box flying towards her.

Melinda dared to look up and she saw the ghost in the corner.

"What's that you've got?" Melinda whispered, knowing full well that the ghost could hear her if he wanted. "You said it went flying into your head."

"My yearbook from 7th grade- why?"

"Open it."

Mallory looked at her funny. "Where to?"

"Just crack open the cover," Melinda said, not looking at her, but at the ghost.

Mallory cracked open the cover and the page flew open to the pictures of that year's 8th grade class.

"I told you this was my 7th grade year book," Mallory said, confused. "Why did it open to the 8th graders?"

The ghost got angry at this comment. He chucked another box at Mallory, who shrieked and ducked.

"Look in the corner. Who do you see?" Melinda asked.

"What?" Mallory asked, looking at Melinda like she was nuts.

"The corner! Who's over there?"

Mallory looked over in the corner where the box had come from. Melinda saw her eyes get wide. Melinda looked at the ghost now too; whose angry expression had softened a fraction.

"Do you know him?" Melinda asked slowly.

"Nate?" Mallory asked, in disbelief.

The ghost reappeared right in front of Mallory. "I knew you could see me," he said.

Mallory opened her mouth to say something, but he had gone. She turned to Melinda. "What was that about? Is he gone for good?"

Melinda shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" Mallory whined. "I don't want him around. I look crazy when he comes around- no one but you can see who I'm talking to. My Mom thinks that…" she trailed off into nothingness.

"What does she think?" Melinda asked.

"Nothing. I've gotta go. If the ghost is gone, then I'm done right?"

"I don't think he's done for good. He didn't cross over."

"How can you tell if they've crossed over or not?"

"They'll usually ask you about a light. They'll tell you they can see it. You'll know inside that they've truly gone. That exit was much too abrupt."

Mallory looked like she was going to come back with another retort, but she didn't say anything. She just walked out from behind the counter and rejoined her mother who had finished her purchase.

"Do you want to come back tomorrow?" Melinda asked.

Mallory's eyes flashed for a moment, but agreed.

"Can you go wait in the car?" Jessa asked.

Mallory shrugged, and left.

"What are you playing at?" Jessa asked furiously.

"Excuse me?" Melinda asked. "I've just been showing her some antiques back there…"

"We both heard screaming back there. What are you doing to my daughter?"

Melinda didn't know if she could really answer that.

"I don't think Mallory is really as enthused about this old junk as you say she is. Why do you keep asking my daughter back here?"

Melinda was stuck. She really didn't want to admit to this protective mother that her kid could see ghosts. Luckily, Jessa just continued her tirade, so Melinda didn't have to.

"Do you know what kind of a kid she is? She's not normal, let me tell you! She's constantly talking to herself in her room. Teachers in school have told me that she's been talking to kids in the hall that aren't there, in low voices."

"She's perfectly normal!" Melinda cut in.

"Perfectly normal? Do you have kids?" she asked accusingly.

Melinda shook her head. "No, not yet."

"Well, you wait for the day when your kid starts talking to themselves at age 15. You won't think it's perfectly normal. She's not coming back here tomorrow- or ever. And you won't find any of our business here anymore, either."

Jessa turned on her heel and slammed the door on her way out.


	4. You can be freaks together

**Disclaimer: Still don't own any of the regular GW characters…**

"_She's perfectly normal!" Melinda cut in. _

"_Perfectly normal? Do you have kids?" she asked accusingly. _

_Melinda shook her head. "No, not yet."_

"_Well, you wait for the day when your kid starts talking to themselves at age 15. You won't think it's perfectly normal. She's not coming back here tomorrow- or ever. And you won't find any of our business here anymore, either."_

_Jessa turned on her heel and slammed the door on her way out. _

Melinda flinched as she heard the door slam. Delia, who had been standing next to Melinda throughout the encounter, looked stunned.

"How dare she treat you like that!"

"She didn't treat me like that. She's treating her daughter like that. _That_ is why, I think, Mallory needs to tell her mother about her gift."

The ghost suddenly appeared in front of the counter.

"Nate, right?" Melinda asked.

He scowled. "So is that it?" he asked. "Is she done with me now?"

"No, but it's going to be more difficult to get her to help you."

"Why can't you help me?" he asked.

"Because it's her job. Either way, to cross you over I would need to get to her," said Melinda, more to herself than the ghost.

Nate let out a loud yell, causing the lights to flicker. "She'll help me. I'll make her!" Nate gave Melinda one last lingering glare before disappearing.

"I have to help her," Melinda said. "He's going to hurt her if he's not careful."

"Are ghosts ever careful?" Delia asked.

Melinda smiled. "No, not really. Not when they hold this kind of pent-up anger – which is where I hit my road block. I don't know what kind of a relationship Nate and Mallory had."

"You need to talk to Mallory."

"You needed to talk to me?"

Melinda looked disbelievingly at the door. Mallory stood there, rather small-looking, and very scared.

"What are you doing here?" Melinda asked incredulously.

"Did you run off?" Delia asked.

Mallory hesitated. "Sort of. I got out of the car at a red light. My mom was talking on her cell phone; I don't know if she noticed. She seemed really upset. But she was talking to my psychologist! I don't want to talk to him! I'm not crazy – you know I'm not crazy!"

As Melinda looked at her, she saw that Jessa was walking up the block, towards the store, clearly furious.

"Mallory, come back here."

"What?"

"Behind the counter. Duck down behind the counter."

Mallory still looked confused, but could sense the urgency in Melinda's voice and obeyed.

Jessa stormed into the store, whacking the door open. "Where is she? Where's the little brat? It's what's good for her!"

Melinda tried to keep her voice calm. "Is Mallory gone?"

"Don't play dumb with me, you little sneak. Where is she? Where's the freak?"

Melinda attempted to keep her temper in check, but before she could open her mouth, Mallory stood up. "I'm not a freak!" she said, sobbing. "I'm not a freak! I don't want to go back to that psychologist! I'm not crazy!"

"You will if you know what's good for you!" Jessa's eyes were shining in anger.

"No! I won't go with you!"

Melinda watched in horror at this mother-daughter clash.

"Jessa?" she asked timidly.

"What do you want?"

"Can she stay with me and my husband for awhile?"

"No! She's coming with me!"

"Look, she's not crazy, and I just want to help her!"

"Mom, I want to go with her!"

Jessa looked as though she had been smacked in the face. "You… you want to go with her?"

Mallory nodded. "I hate living with you."

Jessa looked like she wasn't going to be able to breathe.

Assuming a look of utter contempt, she spat out, "Fine. Live with her. You can be freaks together. Don't expect to come back though." Then Jessa turned to Melinda. "Congratulations," she said sarcastically, "you've gained a crazy teenage girl for the next four years."

Without another word, Jessa turned on her heel and walked out.

Delia's mouth was hanging open, Mallory was staring determinedly at the door, and Melinda was a little stunned.

"Um, Mallory… are you okay?"

"She was never a mother to me, anyway."

Melinda's expression softened. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I hated living with her. My dad died when I was little, and my mother always treated me like scum. She never wanted kids. I was a 'mistake' as she often reminded me. The whole ghost thing, which she would never understand, only seemed to prove her point, and make her loathe me more."

"Really?"

"Would I lie?" Mallory asked, turning on Melinda. "So, I can stay with you?"

Melinda nodded slowly, still bewildered at what had just taken place.

"Forever?" Mallory asked, voice full of hope.

"We'll see," Melinda said. "Actually, let's go home now. Delia, do you want to close up?" Melinda heard the words, but didn't feel as if they were coming out of her mouth. She was walking, talking, moving in a trance.

"Why don't we just close up?" Delia suggested. "I don't think we'll have much more business today, after that encounter."

Melinda nodded. She walked back to the store room, grabbed her purse, and led Mallory out to her car.

* * *

Later that night, as Melinda was making dinner, she was starting to accept the reality of the situation. Jessa had abandoned Mallory.

"Mel, I'm home!" Jim called as he walked in the house.

"Kitchen," Melinda responded.

Jim walked in, kissed his wife, and sat down at the table.

"So… we have a kid, now," Melinda said.

"Sorry?"

"You know that girl I told you about, Mallory?"

"Yeah, the girl that can see ghosts too, what about her?"

"She's going to stay with us for awhile."

Jim frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that her mother abandoned her in the store today, her father's dead, and she has nowhere else to go."

"So she's staying with us? How long?"

Melinda sighed. "I don't know. At least until we cross this ghost over, and then I'll see about talking to her mom. Maybe the authorities. I just…."

"Don't want to see her put in the system?"

"A kid like her wouldn't last too long in a home once a ghost started bothering her."

Jim nodded. "Where is she?"

"In the guest room. I was about to call her down for dinner. Jim… she told me things in the store that I never thought I'd hear. I just thought it was, you know, a fight. Not anything as serious as she told me."

Jim stood up and hugged Melinda. "You're doing the right thing. I'm sure she's a good kid. What about when school starts?"

"I'm hoping they've reconciled by then."

**A/N: Do you think you could do me the kindness of leaving a review??**


	5. How stupid could I get?

**Disclaimer: Do I really need to say for a fifth time that I don't own any of the normal GW characters?**

**A/N: Many thanks again to my beta, pengsrock!**

_Jim stood up and hugged Melinda. "You're doing the right thing. I'm sure she's a good kid. What about when school starts?" _

"_I'm hoping they've reconciled by then."_

"Mallory, you can come down for dinner!" Melinda called up the stairs.

The teenager came down the stairs. "Melinda, how long am I going to be here? Can you really convince my mom to take me back?"

Melinda sighed. "We can discuss that later. I think that, for now, it's healthy for you to be away from her and all that hostility."

The three sat at the table, eating their dinner in somewhat of an awkward silence.

"So, Mallory- right?" asked Jim, trying to break it. Mallory nodded. "You'll be a freshman this year?"

Mallory nodded again.

Jim nodded too, apparently at loss for words, and the awkward silence continued.

"High school is a great time in life, I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Jim attempted once again. "Have any idea what you want to do with your four years?"

Mallory shrugged. "Not really."

"Any idea of what you'd like to pursue after high school?"

Mallory shook her head no, and the table lapsed into silence, though it was notably less awkward now.

"Melinda, how do I get Nate to leave me alone?" Mallory asked, with a hint of a whine in her voice.

"We can discuss that after dinner too," Melinda said, with a smile.

"Will he show up here?"

A look from Melinda, and Mallory fell silent.

* * *

After dinner Jim had to go back to work, as he was picking up a shift for someone.

"Do you want to sit in the living room?" Melinda invited.

Mallory shrugged. "Sure."

The two moved into the living room, where Melinda started a fire.

"Will he come here?" Mallory asked, sitting on the couch.

"Probably. It's you he's really attached to, I think, and not anything in your house."

"When will he show up?"

"You can never really tell. Mallory, has Nate showed you anything, besides turning on the TV and the yearbook?"

Mallory shook her head.

"Do you know how he died?"

Mallory didn't say anything.

"Mallory? You can tell me."

"He died in a football accident."

"Were you there?"

"Not _there_, there. I was… I was on my bike when I passed by the school. I saw his body being put in the ambulance."

"Did you have any connection with him when he was alive?"

"Not really. He was in the grade above me- which is why I think it's weird that he would come to me."

"He probably has a connection to you- he recognizes you."

"Will all ghosts I encounter have a connection to me?"

"In some, small, insignificant way, they might. I've helped a lot of ghosts because their belongings have come through my shop."

"So, then, my chances might be slim?" Mallory sounded hopeful.

"We'll see. Mallory, this isn't a gift you want to get rid of. It's a gift you ought to embrace. You can help so many people find closure with it, and it's very rewarding."

Mallory looked doubtful. "Can they hurt you?"

"You might get a little scared sometimes," Melinda admitted. "Some ghosts can only communicate with you through visions at first, and sometimes that can be… challenging. Some ghosts won't be very nice, though, and they can be hard to help, because they aren't willing to be helped."

"How long have you known you've had the gift?"

"Since I was a little girl. It runs in my family, and my grandmother told me about it."

Mallory didn't say anything. After a long pause, she said "You're sure I'm not crazy?"

"I am so sure."

"So, what about my Mom?" Mallory asked. "I think she was serious when she said she wasn't taking me back."

"I think it was the anger talking, possibly combined with betrayal, at you wanting to leave, and maybe even a little bit of disappointment in herself."

"How do you do that?" Mallory asked.

"It comes with crossing over ghosts. You have to read their emotions, or they won't get anywhere. You said that Nate hasn't shown you any visions, has he?"

Mallory shook her head.

"You said he knew you before, did you really know him, know him?"

Mallory shrugged. "Not really. He was in the grade above me, like I said."

"She knows me. I know her. She won't admit it!" Nate had appeared in behind Mallory, who swung around.

"How do I know you, Nate? We were never in classes together! You were a year older than I was!"

Nate eyes were filled with fury. "You were there at the accident."

"Not really! I was biking by, when I saw you being carted off. Nate, what do you want from me? I know who you are, yes, but what can…" she looked at Melinda, "what can I do to help you cross over? Do you need me to tell the football team something? Was there a girl you always had a crush on?"

Melinda was a little surprised. Mallory had really taken off in guessing what his unfinished business could be. But then, she was also a high school girl, and knew what mattered. Dealing with older ghosts would be harder for her.

Nate didn't say anything. He disappeared, but Mallory started acting funny. Her eyes glazed over, but she was laughing. Melinda could only assume that she was experiencing a vision. Melinda wondered if this was what she looked like when she had them.

After a minute or so, Mallory snapped back into attention. "It was me… him… the whole time… and I- I never knew. How stupid can I get?" Mallory wailed. She looked at Melinda, jumped up from the couch and ran up to her room.

**A/N: Review please!!**


	6. They were all from him

**Disclaimer: I don't own GW. Any questions?**

**A/N: My school year has started as of today and I'm also in a show with after school rehearsals, so please be patient if my chapters are fewer and far between. I won't leave you hanging, I promise!**

Melinda stayed downstairs, not sure what to do. It was very clear that Mallory just had a vision, but it had distressed her and she had run upstairs.

Deciding that it wouldn't do any good to stay where she was, she went upstairs and softly knocked on the guest room door. There wasn't any answer, but Melinda could hear Mallory crying into her pillow.

Opening the door, she asked softly, "Mallory, are you okay? What did Nate show you?"

"The notes. They were all from him. I never knew… and now he's dead!" Mallory wailed.

"What notes?" Melinda asked, though she had a hunch where this was going. She sat on the end of the bed.

Mallory sat up. "I had been getting notes in my mailbox. Not letters, they didn't have an envelope. Just little notes. In my mailbox. They weren't ever signed, but the handwriting was all the same…"

"What did they say?" Melinda asked.

Mallory looked at Melinda with her tear-stained face. "Isn't it obvious? They were love notes. Well not 'love' love notes, but they were from some guy, who told me that he went to my school, and that he liked me."

"How did you react to the notes?" Melinda asked, trying to stay away from fixing the problem for her.

"Oh, I'd have friends over and we'd laugh about it, and they would tease me… but I never pursued it."

"What did you see in the vision?"

Sorrow once again entered into Mallory's eyes, and a little bit of fear, too. "I saw him. He put them in my mailbox. I saw him looking at my friends and me, laughing… I…" Her voice faltered and dissolved into tears.

Melinda saw out of the corner of her eye as she leaned in to comfort Mallory that Nate was standing near the window.

"She figured it out…" he said softly.

Mallory looked up. "I can feel him; he's here, isn't he?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?"

Mallory turned around and saw Nate. "It… it was you… the whole time… why didn't you just tell me?"

Nate looked at her for a long moment. He didn't say anything, just disappeared.

"Did he cross over?" Mallory asked confused.

Melinda shook her head. "No, he just left. They usually ask about a light before they go into it. Or they'll tell you that they see it."

Mallory frowned. "What does he want?"

* * *

Melinda and Mallory walked into the store that next morning.

"Hi, girls, what's going on?"

"Nothing." Melinda answered rather truthfully.

"Ghost gone yet?"

Mallory shook her head.

"Figure out what he wants?"

Mallory shook her head again.

Delia shrugged and went back to the storeroom.

"What if my mom shows up?" Mallory asked.

"She promised me that she would never show her face in here again; I highly doubt we'll see her."

Melinda turned out to be wrong. While Mallory and Delia were downstairs sorting new stuff that had come in, Jessa stormed in.

"Is she here?" Jessa asked. To the outsider, she might appear calm, but Melinda could sense the storm underneath. "Is she?"

Melinda wasn't sure whether to lie or not. Her gut told her to tell the truth, but overwhelming instinct told her to lie- and Melinda followed her instincts more than her gut.

"What?" Melinda asked, playing dumb to buy time.

"I asked is my daughter here, are you deaf?"

"Sorry, no, she's not. She's at my house, with my husband, Jim."

"You left her home with some man?" Jessa asked, and Melinda could tell her temper was rising.

"I left her home with my _husband_. He won't do anything to her- he's as sympathetic to her as I am. Do you want to send her a message?"

"I thought she might want some of her trash."

"Why couldn't you just give it to me? Did you bring her belongings with you?" Melinda asked, more calmly than she truly felt.

"Listen, that little brat has nothing to do with my life anymore!"

"Then why did you want to see her? Send her a sweet good-bye?" Melinda asked sarcastically.

At this comment, Jessa lost her temper. "Tell her I never want to see her face again. Her trash is over there—" she gestured outside, and Melinda saw a large garbage bag sitting there. "If she wants it, she can have it. That was all I didn't burn." Jessa spat these last words into Melinda's face and turned on her heel, leaving in a huff.

Melinda waited for her to leave before going and grabbing the bag from outside.

* * *

"She burned my stuff?" Mallory asked incredulously. "What did she save?"

Melinda noted the panic. "I didn't look through it- it was your stuff. Do you want to be alone?"

Mallory nodded. "Can I just… put this stuff into the drawers?"

Melinda nodded. "Please, I want you to feel at home here."

She closed the door and went downstairs to start dinner, but Jim had beaten her to it.

"How's our guest?" he asked.

"Her mother burned most of her stuff, but was kind enough to leave her one half full garbage bag of belongings."

"What was in it?"

"Mostly just clothes, and I think her backpack might have been in there. I let her unpack it by herself."

"You've gotta get her to help me!"

Melinda whirled around. Nate was standing right behind her.

"I take it this room has an uninvited guest?"

Melinda nodded. "Look, you aren't being very helpful. She knows you left the letters, what more do you need from her?"

Nate scowled. "Can't you figure that out?"

Melinda laughed. "No. She's upstairs. Go help her to help you."

**A/N: Reviews please!!**


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